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14/08/2013 5:40 am

Looking for a low impact workout? This is the video for you. Join me, Samantha Clayton, Director of Fitness Education at Herbalife as I show you this fun, beginners' workout that anyone can do.

As always, start a workout with a warm up. If you're not sure how to warm up, check out my previous video on how to do a basic warm up: http://hrbl.me/17rocO7

Here we go with the workout—the first move will be 30 seconds of walking, with arms up overhead. This works the upper body and lower body. It should challenge your coordination because you're taking opposite arm to opposite leg.

Now go into squat position because the next move is a squat with jab punches. I want you to sit back into squat. And we're just going to do simple jab punches. Bring your arms out at shoulder height. Make sure your core is engaged, sit back so that your knees are behind your toes, and you're working the glutes.

The next move is for your hips. Start by putting your arms up, and then lift your heels to meet your hands. This range of motion really helps with the hips, but you're still engaging your core and arms.

The last move: lunge knee drives. Start in a lunge position with your arms coming straight out. Drive your knee to meet your hand. Again, this will engage the core, and it will also engage the glutes.

Try each of these moves for about 30 seconds each. Then take it back up to the top and repeat this circuit through for a second time.

Today, I wanted to show you a few low-impact moves that are perfect for beginner exercisers. A workout is considered to be low-impact if at least one of your feet remains in contact with the ground at all times.

Low-impact exercise is great for people who are carrying excess body weight because these exercises tend to be less jarring on the body and joints, and is generally less intense overall. If you are already fit and active you can do this low impact workout on a day that you want to give your joints a rest!

I believe that it is important for you to incorporate a wide variety of moves into your exercise routine. Following a stepped approach and working with low impact moves is a great way to get started. Have fun and remember to always listen to your body.

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31/01/2013 5:12 am

2 reasons why you need to make time for yoga

Let’s talk about yoga. Do you think it’s a calming and low impact form of exercise? While it can be, yoga also offers challenges that are suitable for exercise newbies and professional athletes alike.

Although mastering the form and spending time showing off a perfect yoga pose on an empty beach or atop a scenic mountain looks good, yoga is about building strength. No matter how much I can bench press, there will always be a need for yoga in my life but for many years, I viewed yoga as simply gentle stretching in peaceful surroundings. Pretty much something I would do on my rest day from what I considered to be ‘real exercise’. I loved the calm but at about the 30 minute mark I’d be desperate to leave any yoga class because my mind would start to get busy thinking about all of the errands I needed to do … Watching the clock, I’d be thinking to myself ‘when is this going to be over?’

I knew there were many disciplines of yoga, all with unique benefits and challenges but I admit that I had no idea you could get so strong from practicing yoga.

Finding the right yoga style for you

As a group fitness instructor, I have always felt the need to be well rounded and certified in several areas of fitness. Becoming a dynamic instructor with skills that relate to people with all types of interests has always been my top priority. I wanted to add yoga to my skill set, so I looked for a style that would suit my personality. It won’t come as a surprise when I tell you that I signed up for a ‘power yoga’ weekend. It may make you laugh that my ‘power’ trip made me realize I need yoga in my life to help me focus on myself and be present in the moment for more than 30 minutes at a time, It turns out that, for me, the physical strength benefits were outweighed by the mental strength I needed to develop! I came to the realization that yoga makes you strong in ways beyond the physical.

If you are like me and have a busy mind, always thinking about your next task, maybe you need yoga to help you develop mental strength too. Do you want to get a strong and flexible body? Or, do you need to spend time following a set and flowing routine to help you develop some co-ordination? Whatever your needs or fitness goals; let me share with you my three favorite yoga styles and show you how yoga can make you strong.

Hatha Yoga

Hatha yoga is a style that truly encourages the mind-body connection, it is a very traditional practice focused on truly controlling the breath and calming the mind through meditation. I find this style of yoga practice great for slow, controlled and focused movements and it is my favorite for a full mental workout. This style is great for anyone new to exercise because a lot of emphasis is placed on being in perfect alignment.

Ashtanga Yoga

There are many variations of this dynamic style of yoga, but traditional ashtanga yoga it is based on a set of flowing movements. Each movement is directly connected to your breath, one movement on your inhale and the next movement on your exhale. If you like to follow a set routine without much variation this style of yoga is for you. No matter which studio you go to, the flow will be the same making it a perfect choice for people who travel and love keep some consistency in their routine.Once you have the basic movements mastered, the breathing can truly become the focus of your practice. Ashtanga yoga is calming and stress relieving and I think that ashtanga yoga provides participants with a true physical challenge that will strengthen your muscles and help you to stay focused.

Bikram or Hot Yoga

Bikram yoga is a mind-body-physical challenge like no other. This style is based very closely on the traditional ashtanga flow yoga but with an added element of difficulty; the room is kept at a temperature of about 100-105 degrees. The heat makes you sweat profusely and creates an environment that is believed to help the body de-toxify and also to improve your ability to stretch further with each pose.

Bikram yoga can help you to get strong toned sexy arms, flat lean abs and killer leg definition because the flow of movements in the heat challenges your entire body. I love it because I can’t think about running errands or anything other than breathing and moving in an attempt to stay alive and survive! I believe I gain true mental strength and willpower from practicing bikram yoga because just staying in the room is a challenge for me. Many studios use great music to help keep you motivated but let me warn you that this practice is not those people new to exercise.

There are dangers associated with working out in the heat so use caution and be aware of the dangers before you take a class. A typical class lasts for about 75 minutes. My husband goes to our local studio every day armed with water and Herbalife24 Hydrate dietary supplement and I try to brave the bikram studio at least twice a week even if I’m traveling.

Allow yoga to make you strong

I can’t think of anybody who wouldn’t benefit from developing mental strength while also improving their physical strength. I hope I have sparked your curiosity enough for you to give yoga a try so that you can discover for yourself that yoga is not just for relaxing on your off day from running or going to the gym. Yoga can give you a challenging workout that will build your strength in ways you never imagined.

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7/10/2012 8:58 pm

Herbalife fitness expert, Samantha Clayton shares her advice to help you become more active. Squatting is a functional movement of everyday life, getting up off a chair, out of the car.... Adding squats to your daily routine helps strengthen muscles joints and tendons; this added strength can make simple tasks of daily living easier. Try working through a few squat variations with fitness expert Samantha Clayton

Disclaimer: Any statements in connection to weight control are related to Herbalife weight control program including among others balanced nutrition, regular physical exercise, daily use of required amounts of liquids, use dietary supplements and sufficient rest. All the results are individual and may differ.